The present invention relates to an automotive window molding attached onto the circumference of an automotive window glass so as to fill up a gap or an aperture between the circumference of the window glass and a vehicle body, and particularly to such an automotive window molding formed with a drip groove or a drain groove for enhanced drainage performance.
Generally, a window molding is attached around the circumference of an automotive window glass, to provide a tight seal between the circumference of the window glass and the vehicle body and thus to prevent the ingress of moisture, and also to enhance ornamental design. In recent years, such a window molding with a drip groove (a drain groove) or a rainwater receiving groove is often formed at its pillar side (for example, both side molding portions of a windshield molding) in order to effectively drain rainwater. On such wind molding with a drip groove has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 4-365621. The aforementioned drip groove faces toward the center of the outside surface of the window glass and is opened toward within the perimeter of the window glass. During vehicle driving in a rainy day, the drip groove functions to receive rainwater dripping on the window glass, and thus to drain downwards from the pillar. In order to effectively drain rainwater, such a drip groove is usually formed in a side molding portion of the window molding. However, during vehicle driving in the snow, snow is pressed against the side molding portion by wiping action of the windshield wiper, and thus snow enters the drip groove. As a result of this, snow would be pressed together and strongly adhered to the side molding portion. The conventional window molding as discussed above is insufficient from the viewpoint of good snow-removing performance. Also, a window molding having a drip groove or a drain groove tends to increase aerodynamic noise such as atmospheric wind flow noise around the window molding.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an automotive window molding with a drain groove or a drip groove, which avoids the aforementioned disadvantages.
It is another object of the invention to provide an automotive window molding with a drain groove or a drip groove, which is capable of ensuring enhanced snow-removing performance as well as superior rainwater drainage performance, and of ensuring reduced aerodynamic noise.
In order to accomplish the aforementioned and other objects of the present invention, an automotive window molding attached onto a circumference of a window glass and arranged at a pillar side of a vehicle body, comprises an outside glass abutting portion being in contact with an outside surface of the window glass, an outside ornamental head portion arranged outside of the outside glass abutting portion and spaced apart from the outside glass abutting portion so that the outside ornamental head portion and the outside glass abutting portion are opposed to each other, a connecting wall portion interconnecting the outside ornamental head portion and the outside glass abutting portion, and a drip groove defined by the outside glass abutting portion, the outside ornamental head portion, and the connecting wall portion, so that the drip groove is opened toward inside of a perimeter of the window glass, wherein a tip portion of the outside glass abutting portion is configured to protrude toward inside of the perimeter of the window glass more than a tip portion of the outside ornamental head portion protrudes toward inside of the perimeter of the window glass. It is preferable that the automotive window molding may further comprise a drain groove which is opened toward outside of the vehicle body, and a protruded portion formed at a bottom of the drain groove. More preferably, the automotive window molding may further comprise a protruded portion formed on an edge of the outside ornamental head portion facing a vehicle-body panel and located outside of the perimeter of the window glass, and the protruded portion extending from the edge of the outside ornamental head portion toward outside of the perimeter of the window glass.
According to another aspect of the invention, an automotive window molding attached onto a circumference of a window glass and arranged at a pillar side of a vehicle body, comprises a leg portion disposed between the circumference of the window glass and a vehicle-body panel, an outside glass abutting portion being in contact with an outside surface of the window glass and arranged along the outside surface of the window glass to extend toward inside of a perimeter of the window glass, an inside glass abutting portion being in contact with an inside surface of the window glass and arranged along the inside surface of the window glass to extend toward inside of the perimeter of the window glass, a seal lip portion extending from an outer surface of the leg portion facing the vehicle-body panel and abutting at a tip thereof with the vehicle-body panel while being curved toward outside of the vehicle body, an outside ornamental head portion arranged outside of the outside glass abutting portion and spaced apart from the outside glass abutting portion so that the outside ornamental head portion and the outside glass abutting portion are opposed to each other, a connecting wall portion interconnecting the outside ornamental head portion and the outside glass abutting portion, and a drip groove defined by the outside glass abutting portion, the outside ornamental head portion, and the connecting wall portion, so that the drip groove is opened toward an inside of the perimeter of the window glass, wherein a tip portion of the outside glass abutting portion is configured to protrude toward an inside of the perimeter of the window glass more than a tip portion of the outside ornamental head portion protrudes toward an inside of the perimeter of the window glass.
According to a further aspect of the invention, an automotive window molding attached around a circumference of a windshield glass and having at least a side molding portion formed by extrusion molding and arranged at a pillar side of a vehicle body, comprises a leg portion disposed between the circumference of the windshield glass and a front pillar of the vehicle body, an outside glass abutting portion being in contact with an outside surface of the windshield glass and arranged along the outside surface of the windshield glass to extend toward an inside of a perimeter of the windshield glass, an inside glass abutting portion being in contact with an inside surface of the windshield glass and arranged along the inside surface of the windshield glass to extend toward an inside of the perimeter of the windshield glass, a seal lip portion extending from an outer surface of the leg portion facing the front pillar and abutting at a tip thereof with the front pillar while being curved toward outside of the vehicle body, an outside ornamental head portion arranged outside of the outside glass abutting portion and spaced apart from the outside glass abutting portion so that the outside ornamental head portion and the outside glass abutting portion are opposed to each other, a connecting wall portion interconnecting the outside ornamental head portion and the outside glass abutting portion, the connecting wall portion, the outside ornamental head portion, and the outside glass abutting portion being integrally formed with each other, and a drip groove defined by the outside glass abutting portion, the outside ornamental head portion, and the connecting wall portion, so that the drip groove is opened toward inside of the perimeter of the windshield glass, wherein a tip portion of the outside glass abutting portion is configured to protrude toward inside of the perimeter of the windshield glass more than a tip portion of the outside ornamental head portion protrudes toward an inside of the perimeter of the windshield glass.
The other objects and features of this invention will become understood from the following description with reference to the accompanying drawings.